Discussion of things related to comics, movies, games, and books, written by someone frequently bewildered by his own mind.

Sunday, November 09, 2014

The Invisible Man 2.10 - Flash to Bang

Plot: Hobbes and Fawkes are staking out some building. Well, Hobbes is sneaking around at ground level, while Darien struggles to climb many flights of stairs. Chrysalis agents drive up with a truck with a laser cannon on the back, which they fire into the clouds, only to have Hobbes leap out and try to arrest them, which results in gunfire. On the roof, Darien finds some sort of spire or antenna, just as the two scientists attending it leave because they get the report about the gun battle. So Darien's the only one the there when the storm started by the laser releases a bolt of lightning attracted by the antenna, which then jumps over a strikes Darien. I assume being Quicksilvered kept him from being badly burned, but when he awakes in a hospital, he doesn't remember his name (though he recalls he says "oh crap"), and the Agency has no idea where he is, until Eberts locates a John Doe admitted in hospital records..

The nice nurse lady, Doris, takes his picture to put on the news so perhaps his family can find him. But Jarod Stark finds him first, and tells Darien they are old friends who work for the CIA. Darien's pretty stoked about this, especially when he sees Stark's limo, but then Hobbes and Alex arrive, bullets start flying, and Darien steals the limo. He almost immediately drives into a dead end, but his panic causes him to secrete Quicksilver, so invisible Darien runs. By this time, though, the news report about him has aired, and who should see it but Arnaud, who has a lot of pictures of himself around his apartment.

Darien, meanwhile, is so confused, he decided to go to the police for help. Which was a bad idea because he still has his criminal record. So he gets locked up. Hobbes and Alex arrive shortly, get static from the desk sergeant, which leads to Alex and one of the cops arresting each other, while Darien is figuring out how to control the invisibility and escape, only to be sucker-punched by that one big Chrysalis goon that keeps popping up and brought to Stark. Darien is understandably suspicious of such behavior from a friend, and asks Stark a question to establish his bonafides: What does Darien always say? Stark botches it, which doesn't change much until a self-driving car appears. Oh wait, no, it's Arnaud dual-wielding machine pistols. Darien seizes that car in the confusion, only to find out Arnaud is still in the backseat. And he's passing himself off as Kevin again. Only this time, he and Darien are both test tube babies, grown and given different Quicksilver glands as part of an experiment. And "Kevin" needs darien's help to bust out their third brother, "Vinnie", from prison. That'd be Huiclov.

The Agency is aware Arnaud's involved by now, because they received a call from Stark telling them they may have retrived Fawkes, but it forced them to reveal the existence of their other invisible agent. Claire is pretty sure Darien's memory will come back in time, as everything resets itself after the massive shock. In the meantime, Arnaud's just unable to not be an ass and gradually wreck what he's trying to build with Fawkes. Hobbes visits Huiclov, who insists Arnaud never visits. However, another person does, every month, and Hobbes tracks him down. This fellow gets paid by Arnaud to visit, and Arnaud stands next to him invisibly, using him to pass along info to Huiclov. When Arnaud calls to set up another meeting, the guy insists Arnaud bring him the money now, and when he does, Hobbes jumps him. Except Darien takes out Hobbes with a vase. He does at least keep Arnaud from killing Hobbes, so he's alive but tied up when Alex arrives.

By then, Darien and Arnaud have freed Huiclov, except he doesn't want to be freed, and Darien's starting to notice the inconsistencies in the Arnaud's story, like "Vinnie's" accent. Oh, and he's going into Quicksilver Madness. But not before a) they get Huiclov out, b) Hobbes and Alex arrive, and c) Darien remembers who Arnaud really is. He gets his hands around Arnaud' throat, but the Q.M. kicks in, and the weasel escapes while Darien's on the ground clutching the back of his head. The episode ends with Stark tracking down Arnaud and the two forming a partnership. Have fun with that, Darien.

Quote of the Episode: Fawkes - 'I'm just finding it hard to believe my friends would just punch me in the face and drive me out in the middle of nowhere, you know what I mean?'

The "oh crap" count: 5 (20 overall).

Who's getting quoted this week? No one.

Times Fawkes Goes Into Quicksilver Madness: 1 (4 overall).

Other: I like that it was Hobbes using "oh crap" as Fawkes clocked him that gave Darien pause.

I think Arnaud looks so much skinnier to me this season because his hair is much more unruly and poofed out. Last season it was always slicked back, but now it's out much further from the sides of his head, so it makes his face look slimmer. Either that, or the makeup people are really overemphasizing Bissonette's cheekbones.

That being said, his "Kevin" accent is really whiny and irritating. I don't now if that was intentional, him mocking Kevin's memory when he knew Fawkes wouldn't recognize it, or Arnaud just can't do a better "American" accent. I did love his explanation for "Vinnie", that not only was he a control in the experiment (thus no gland), but he was raised in Switzerland to be trained as a super-soldier who would be neutral under all circumstances. That's some pretty good off the top of your head lying, in the sense that it was very entertaining. Not a very plausible lie, just from looking at Huiclov. It is always nice to see Huiclov, though. The part where he started screaming before Darien even began Quicksilvering him was funny. He's a nice, kind of dim guy who simultaneously loves and is terrified of his brother. Nice counterpoint to Darien, having the younger brother that wanted to look after him, Huiclov has the younger brother who delights in tormenting him.

The scene in the hospital, when Darien asks Doris if she thinks he might really have a daughter, and seems pleased at the idea, that was interesting. Darien's never particularly struck me as someone who wants kids, even considering episode 1.3, "Ralph". He became friends with the girl, but I don't know that he wanted to be a dad from the experience. Perhaps it was the idea there was someone out there who cared if he was missing.

I don't understand why they have Darien's eyes go black when he only Quicksilvers them, but it was very appropriate in this case, since it came right as he remembered everything and oh look, there's Arnaud right in front of him. It's suitably ominous and badass. Do find it curious Quicksilver Madness dropped him with the headaches this week, when we didn't see any of that during its onset last week. You think the Evil Doctor might have noticed that during the run-up to her assassination attempt.

So clearly Arnaud and Stark each plan to betray the other. Question is, who tries first, and who succeeds first? My money is on Arnaud to make the first attempt. He's too cocky, and too impatient. Stark is supposed to be playing the long game anyway. Though I question the purpose of a lightning creating machine. Maybe it makes sense for a group that engineers lethal plagues, but it seems a little obvious and flashy, with the laser cannon and all. A little COBRA, you know what I mean? Also, them making lightning by firing lasers into the clouds, causing a storm to form from the heat made me think of Naruto, since I'm pretty sure Sasuke pulled off the same thing when he fought his brother.